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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29710902">how could i forget you?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/acidicvolt/pseuds/acidicvolt'>acidicvolt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Drama, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood Vines | The Crimson | The Egg, Canon Compliant, Eggpire on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Polyamory, Sad, if u actually know who i am please do not look at these i am an embarrassment, no beta we die like tubbo did, oh god tagging is the worst part, this was originally canon compliant but im not sure if it is anymore bc ive forgotten how this goes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:46:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29710902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/acidicvolt/pseuds/acidicvolt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"You alright, now, Karl?" The guitar player asked softly, stepping slightly closer.</p><p>He stared at them for a moment before speaking. "Karl?"</p><p>"Yeah? What about it?" They asked, their eyebrows pulling down.</p><p>"Is that my name?"</p><p> </p><p>DO NOT send this to CCs - i will take it down if they say they're uncomfy with it - this is based off their minecraft characters and not the real life people</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF) &amp; Other(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>184</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>cw: minor panic attack</p><p>but i describe it badly so its not that bad. still be careful tho</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was falling. That he knew. He's been falling for a while, he thought. </p><p>He couldn't remember.</p><p>He tried to grasp at any memories, and resemblance of his life- but he found nothing. </p><p>Was he even a he?</p><p>Well, yes. He thought so, at least. He didn't think he was a she, or a they. Those didn't sound right. So, he was a he for now. </p><p>For a moment when his eyes closed, he thought he saw someone. He thought there was a face. Or maybe two, or three? He couldn't remember anymore. It had only been a few seconds.</p><p>His eyes opened and he stared. He was falling faster than he had known was possible. Stars danced in front of his eyes, spinning their way out of sight as quickly as they had arrived. </p><p>Blues and purples swirled together, meshing into a watercolor background. A background that he couldn't escape.</p><p>How did he get here? </p><p>He thought he was... he didn't know what he thought. He can't remember.</p><p>His eyes closed, and he let himself fall faster and faster and faster.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>His eyes opened and the first thing he noticed was that he felt... safe. </p><p>The scent of... something drifted from what appeared to be the kitchen. It smelled so good- and he realized he was hungry. Starving, even.</p><p>He got up from where he had fallen (fallen?) in the middle of what looked to be the living room. Where was he?</p><p>He made his way to the kitchen, hearing someone singing and playing guitar quietly.</p><p>As he stepped through the door, he felt an overwhelming... feeling. He felt like he was home, like he had finally found his place in the universe. </p><p>The person playing guitar didn't notice him at first. He took this moment to study them. The way they scrunched their nose when they messed up. The way they brushed their dark hair under their beanie. The way they scribbled notes down on a nearby notepad every few moments. The two golden rings residing on opposite hands.</p><p>He turned to notice the other person in the room. They stood at the stove, slowly nodding every once and again to the music that the first person played. They didn't turn to... whoever he was, but he knew they were strong by the way their arm tensed when they got too close to knocking a glass over. They corrected themself quickly, looking to the guitar player to see if they saw their mistake. They didn't. A closer look noted the two rings attached to a necklace around their neck.</p><p>He didn't recognize these people, but he felt so <i>safe</i> here. Like he belonged. </p><p>"H- Hello?" He finally spoke, his voice hoarse and broken. He winced as they both turned to look at him.</p><p>"Karl!" The person at the stove moved first, barreling into him. Their arms wrapped so tightly around his waist that he felt as if he couldn't breathe for a moment.</p><p>"Sapnap, dude, let him breathe a bit," The guitar player grinned, quickly setting their instrument aside to come and hug him as well.</p><p>He was overwhelmed. These people- these strangers- were invading his space so much. He- he couldn't breathe. He genuinely couldn't breathe. The air refused to work it's way into his throat.</p><p>His hands shook as he raised them- for what he didn't know- and he noticed it. </p><p>On his wrist was a think black bracelet with two golden rings.</p><p>Are they-?</p><p>He tried to take another breathe and felt it rattle throughout his chest, like he was some kind of- some kind of- </p><p>"-Okay? C'mon, Karl, breathe with me, alright?" The chef was talking, staring directly into his eyes, having backed away minutes ago.</p><p>
  <i>Karl?</i>
</p><p>The guitar player stood a few feet away, awkwardly reaching a hand out like they wanted to help, but couldn't bring themself to.</p><p>He closed his eyes, seeing flashes of light for a moment before he finally pulled a full breath in. </p><p>"Yes! Just like that! In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Here- I'll do it with you," the chef exclaimed. </p><p>He opened his eyes to see them slowly breathing in and out. It... helped. A bit.</p><p>Soon, he felt alright. Like his life wasn't falling apart. Like he could breathe without the weight of the world on his chest. </p><p>"You alright, now, Karl?" The guitar player asked softly, stepping slightly closer.</p><p>He stared at them for a moment before speaking. "Karl?"</p><p>"Yeah? What about it?" They asked, their eyebrows pulling down.</p><p>"Is that my name?"</p><p>If he remembered what heartbreak felt like, then he thought that might be what everyone else saw. Their face crumpled, and they soon brought their hands up to their face, as if to hide from him. </p><p>"Karl? You're not joking, are you?" The chef asked hesitantly, slowly reaching out towards him. </p><p>"Am I Karl?" He asked genuinely, feeling distraught at making these two seemingly lovely people feel hurt.</p><p>"Yes," the guitar player mumbled, their voice thick with emotion.</p><p>The chef hesitated with their hand outstretched. Their eyes were significantly more glassy than they were before. </p><p>"Karl, can I touch you? Do you remember me? Do you remember us?"</p><p>Karl- he knew that was his name- had to think for a moment. Did he remember?</p><p>"Um, yes, no, and no. I'm sorry, do we know each other? What am I doing here?" Karl asked softly, not wanting to break another person's heart.</p><p>The chef's hand came up to rest on Karl's cheek, with their fingertips touching the ends of his hair. Karl chuckled at this, but it obviously didn't get noticed by anyone else.</p><p>"I'm Sapnap. That's Quackity," the chef- Sapnap- gestured to himself and then the guitar player. "We- We're fiancés. We were supposed to get married this year." Sapnap stared down at Karl's unknowing eyes for a moment before turning to the gui- to Quackity. </p><p>Karl felt awful. </p><p>Why couldn't he remember? What happened to his memories? These people were <i>important,</i> why did he forget them? Why did he forget <i>himself?</i></p><p>Karl noticed as Sapnap slowly left him to comfort Quackity, but he didn't move.</p><p>How could he forget them?</p><p>"It's okay- It's okay- We'll figure this out. We can- God- What <i>can</i> we do?" Sapnap muttered into the mostly silent room, broken only by short sniffles from Quackity and the brushing of fabric on fabric from the two shifting positions.</p><p>
  <i>How could he forget them?</i>
</p><p>"We-" Karl started, breaking off when his voice broke. He stared directly at the cupboards he had been watching for minutes now, starting over. "We were in love?"</p><p>Sapnap's face brightened for a moment, but of course Karl had to ruin it.</p><p>"I don't remember anything. But, this room- this house- you guys- it feels like home. Like- Like I finally found a place where I can be myself, a place that accepts me as me, and loves me. It- It feels like love. I think."</p><p>Sapnap's disappointment was immeasurable. It flooded the room, drowning them all in the fumes. </p><p>Quackity was hugging Sapnap tightly when Karl looked at them. He's gripping their partner like he was the only thing tethering him to this mortal plane. He locked eyes with Karl.</p><p>Karl wasn't crying. Quackity wasn't crying. They looked at each other, their emotions bared like a wolf bared its teeth- except this was not a warning, but rather an open book. </p><p>Karl felt like he ruined everything. He stole the happiness from them both, and he stole the love from this house. </p><p>Quackity looked like Karl had ruined everything. He stared back, with clear anger, and sadness, but mostly fear.</p><p>"Is- Do you think Dream, or any of them, could help us?" Quackity spoke quietly, letting his words soak in their thoughts for a minute.</p><p>"I... don't know," Sapnap replied. He turned his sad eyes to Karl, opening one of his arms as a gesture for him to come closer. Karl hesitantly nestled his way into the bundle, and Sapnap let his arm fall back into place. "It's worth a shot, huh?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello!! thank u for reading!!</p><p>drink some water and drop a kudos/comment/bookmark if u enjoyed pls!!</p><p> </p><p>&lt;3 venom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. soaring</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>cw: mentions of rp!Dream's past actions, tho isnt stated</p><p>stay safe yall</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Karl awoke, he half expected to remember something. Anything. A glimpse into what happened before he landed in the living room, or a moment of time with his fiancés. Hell, he’d give almost anything for a snapshot of who he was before… before whatever happened, happened.</p><p>But this wasn’t a fairytale. This wasn’t some story with a big climax and a happy ending. This was his life, and his life just didn’t work like that. </p><p>When Karl realized he wasn’t getting anywhere with that thought process, he groaned and decided to get up. </p><p>He had slept in the guest room, as he didn’t feel comfortable sharing a bed with the other two men. It was nothing personal, just- it would be like sleeping with a stranger. </p><p>Both Sapnap and Quackity accepted that. Though Sapnap did give Karl a look like a kicked puppy, he was the one who suggested the idea. So Karl went off to the guest room while the others went to their bedroom.</p><p>The guest room was very… empty. There was only the bare minimum furniture, and even the lights felt lifeless. The sheets were rough, and scratched at his skin, and the pillows weren’t as soft as he would have liked. </p><p>But Karl couldn’t complain, as he had a bed to sleep in, and two people willing to give anything to help him.</p><p>With an inaudible sigh, Karl finally got up. His bare feet touched the wood floor and forced a chill up his spine. With soft steps he made his way out to the kitchen, hoping to find someone.</p><p>There wasn’t anyone, even though it was nearing ten in the morning. </p><p>Karl really didn’t want to wake his fiancés- it still felt weird to call them that- so he settled on the couch and turned the TV on quietly.</p><p>He wasn’t even all the way through one episode before he heard the soft footsteps coming from the main bedroom. </p><p>Quackity said a quiet good morning, flopping down next to Karl a bit closer than Karl enjoyed. He let it slide, and murmured back a greeting, turning his attention back to the TV.</p><p>“So, Sapnap and I were discussing what to do,” Quackity yawned, keeping his eyes on the cartoon.</p><p>Karl hummed in recognition as a cue for his fiancé to go on.</p><p>“We decided to drop by the prison and see if Dream or Sam could help us.”</p><p>“If they’re in prison, what gives you any indication they are the right people to go to? And who’s to say they would even help?” Karl remarked, quietly apologizing when he noticed his tone seemed a bit harsh.</p><p>Quackity waved the apology away, muttering a “we don’t have many other choices”, before standing and stretching. He said something about making coffee before heading to the kitchen.</p><p>Karl sighed softly, trying to tune back into the cartoon on the TV, but failing.</p><p>He wished he could remember. He was trying so hard, but no matter what he did he always hit a block at the moment he was falling into the living room. He doesn’t even know how he got there. Where was he falling from?</p><p>“Hey, dude, you good? You look like you gotta take a shit,” was heard from beside Karl, startling him out of thought.</p><p>Sapnap sat criss-cross on the couch, looking almost as tired as Quackity had. </p><p>Karl shook his head, letting out a small laugh. “No, I’m fine. I was just trying to remember.”</p><p>Sapnap raised his eyebrows, looking intrigued. “Well,” he started, leaning back against the couch’s arm and putting his legs up on Karl’s thighs, “you’ve picked my interest-”</p><p>“It’s ‘piqued’, you idiot!” Was heard from the kitchen, followed by a short burst of laughter.</p><p>Sapnap scowled and stuck his tongue out at the kitchen doorway, before he turned back to Karl. He crossed his arms and started again. “You’ve <i>piqued</i> my interest. What do you remember?”</p><p>Karl shifted slightly, trying to think. “I- I remember falling into the living room. I- That’s the last thing I remember. I remember all of last night, for some reason.”</p><p>Quackity came into the living room with three mugs, silently handing them out before settling in the space between them. Sapnap ended up moving his legs so they were instead on both boys thighs.</p><p>“Well, you once told us you could time travel. Maybe that has something to do with it?” Quackity offered, taking a sip from his coffee while watching the cartoon.</p><p>“That’s true!” Sapnap snapped his fingers, nearly spilling a bit of his coffee. “Maybe you lost your memories because you traveled too far or something.”</p><p>Karl hummed in acknowledgment, taking a sip from his own coffee. He almost spit it out for a second. He was expecting black coffee, but this had sugar and creamer in it- which was so much better, don’t get him wrong- but he expected Quackity… his fiancé… to not know what kind of coffee he liked.</p><p>Thinking it like that made him feel dumb. </p><p>“So,” Quackity sighed.</p><p>Sapnap repeated the action, looking to Karl.</p><p>“I guess… We’re gonna have to visit the prison,” Karl sighed, sipping at his coffee once more, this time prepared for how good it was.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“-only one of you may enter at a time. You are aware of this, yes?” Sam, the guard of the prison, told the trio.</p><p>They had already explained why there were there, and why Karl couldn’t remember Sam’s name. Sam had taken it in stride, and quickly made sure Karl knew the rules before he even entered the prison’s main entrance. </p><p>Now, they stood behind a wall of lava, waiting for Sam’s go ahead.</p><p>The three fiancés looked at each other and nodded. They had decided ahead of time that Karl would be the one to ask Dream, and that Sapnap and Quackity would stay behind. </p><p>Sapnap was the obvious choice, as Dream and him were once friends, but when Sapnap outright refused to visit the imprisoned, Quackity and Karl immediately agreed that Karl would be the best choice.</p><p>“Karl will be the only one visiting today, Sam, remember?” Sapnap asked, his tone on edge.</p><p>Sam nodded, before stepping next to the lever. “Karl, please stand on the center stone and face forward. You will need to move with the bridge when it moves, otherwise you will fall to your death.”</p><p>Karl looked at his soon-to-be-husbands nervously, shooting them a smile before stepping onto the platform.</p><p>Sam stood silently and ominously after pulling the lever, waiting for the lava to fall. </p><p>Karl glanced back at Sam, taking in his green jumpsuit and creeper mask, before turning back to the lava. </p><p>As the lava fell, it slowly revealed the center cell, with a figure inside. He assumed this was Dream.</p><p>“I am starting the bridge. Please walk forward with it.” </p><p>And with that, Karl was walking towards Dream.</p><p>He had heard snippets of stories from Sapnap and Quackity, but he didn’t know all of what the monster did. He did know to keep his guard up, as Dream liked to play mind games. He did know that Dream deserved to be in prison. He did know that Dream may be his only hope, if only for the sheer amount of knowledge on things the normal human brain wouldn’t ever want to remember.</p><p>Karl, lost in thought, made it to the cell. He stepped off the bridge, watching it slowly go back, and watching the lava slowly fall. When he turned around, the bars had opened, and Dream sat in the corner, sketching in a book.</p><p>“Hello,” Karl said wearily.</p><p>Dream didn’t look up.</p><p>“I’m Karl-”</p><p>“I know.” Dream’s voice was raspy, like it hadn’t been used in a while. Which, to be fair, it didn’t seem like it has been. </p><p>“Oh. Do you know why I’m here?” Karl asked as he slowly walked towards the man.</p><p>Dream himself looked rather… odd. His blonde hair looked dirty and fried, and it stuck up in every direction. His eyes were green, but they were too close to lime to be normal. Eye bags and acne littered his face, but those were to be expected. It’s not like he had much place to take a shower.</p><p>Sam had given him an orange jumpsuit, but he seemed to have ripped the sleeves off. It suited him.</p><p>Karl looked down at the book Dream was sketching in, before realizing that was an invasion of privacy. </p><p>Karl slid along the wall, sitting about six feet from Dream. </p><p>“My memories are missing.”</p><p>This caught Dream’s interest, as his eyebrow twitched slightly. No other indication was given that he had even heard the younger man. </p><p>Karl started recounting the events leading up to that moment, leaving out unimportant things like how the house he lived in felt like home, or how he longed to be as in love with his fiancés as they were with him.</p><p>When Karl had finished, they both sat in silence for a moment before Dream spoke.</p><p>“What does this have to do with me?”</p><p>Karl sighed softly, staring down at his hands. “I was wondering if you knew any way to help me get my memories back.”</p><p>Dream scoffed at this, scribbling furiously. “And Sapnap couldn’t have come asked me?”</p><p>“He said he wouldn’t. Nobody argued with him.”</p><p>At this Dream stopped completely. He stared blankly at the book for a minute or two, before he ripped out the page in the book and crumpled it up. He threw it as hard as he could, and it bounced before rolling into the lava. </p><p>“Well, good fucking luck finding someone who can help with that, <i>Karl.</i> I have no clue. Nor would i have any interest in helping you.” </p><p>Karl sighed and stood, brushing himself off in the process. “Thanks anyways, Dream. I’ll visit again sometime.”</p><p>“Don’t even bother,” the blonde replied, but there was a twinge of emotion behind it. Not anger, but rather… desperation, maybe.</p><p>Before Karl knew it, he was back to the others and was being hugged just like he was the day before when he arrived.</p><p>“Oh, thank god you’re alright. That was taking a little too long, what were you doing- playing Uno?” Quackity joked, but it was just thinly veiled worry.</p><p>“Nah, he just… wasn’t happy with me being there. He said he couldn’t- nor would he- help at all.” Karl sighed, pulling away from the embrace. He was still a little… iffy about that stuff.</p><p>“Why did we even come here?” Sapnap huffed. “We knew he wouldn’t do shit for anyone but me-”</p><p>“Sorry for the interruption,” Sam jumped in, his cool and even tone instantly relieving some of the tension in the room. “But I may have a suggestion.”</p><p>The trio all turned to him, urging for him to go on.</p><p>“Well, I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but there’s this popular… well, I’m not sure what you’d call it. But, if you speak to the leader of the Eggpire, BadBoyHalo, he might have some answers.”</p><p>“God, why didn’t I think of that?” Sapnap scolded himself, brightening immediately. “Of course! That damn egg would know something about this bullshit. And if worse goes to worse we can scramble the fucker!”</p><p>Karl laughed at the half joke, feeling a bit of hope for the next adventure.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank u for all the love!! </p><p>also, this is going to be much longer than a few chapters bc i have no self control lol</p><p>next chapter may not be up for a while as i have exams</p><p>stay safe, drink water</p><p>&lt;3 Venom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. questioning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>cw for victim blaming (kinda)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are we there yet?” Quackity whined, sounding like a petulant child. </p><p>They had been walking for what seemed like hours, with Sam leading the group. He had insisted upon showing them the way, as he felt they would be lost just following instructions.</p><p>“No, not yet. But we will be soon,” Sam replied as he jumped down to the cave spider XP farm.</p><p>Karl was a bit wary to trust Sam, but his fiances seemed willing to give him their lives if need be. Maybe it was the fact that he had yet to remove his creeper mask, or maybe it was the potions on the belt around his hips, as if always ready for a battle, or maybe it was just that Karl couldn’t remember him at all. Which wasn’t saying much, as he still couldn’t remember anything from before when he arrived. </p><p>He wished he could. He wished it when Sapnap looked at him too sadly, or when Quackity went to touch him but then retracted his hand, and he wished it when he looked too long at either of them and felt lost. Lost in a good way, but lost all the same. He wanted to remember more than anything else, but he never got anywhere. </p><p>Quackity rested a hand on his shoulder, bringing Karl back to the present. “You’re up, dude.”</p><p> </p><p>Karl looked down in the hole. “So… I just jump?”</p><p>Quackity nodded, removing his hand silently.</p><p>So Karl trusted him, and jumped.</p><p>He wasn’t sure what he expected, but a small pool of water was not it. He was left unharmed, but soaking wet. </p><p>“Ah, yeah, sorry about that,” Sapnap chuckled, reaching out a hand to help Karl out of the water. “Shoulda warned you, huh?”</p><p>Karl grasped his hand as well as he could, hauling himself out of the pool in rough movements. “Yeah, would have been nice,” he grumbled, as he stood and shook himself like a wet dog.</p><p>Sapnap called up to Quackity, and soon he too was sopping wet. Sapnap quickly released Karl’s hand to help Quackity out, though Quackity complained the whole time. </p><p>Karl almost forgot what they were doing, watching his fiances with a stupid smile on his face, when Sam cleared his throat.</p><p>“The egg is waiting,” Sam deadpanned at the trio, starting down a twisting hallway.</p><p>
  <i>Why did he say it like that? Makes it sound like the egg is alive.</i>
</p><p>The fiances glanced at each other warily before following Sam, with Sapnap in the lead for “safety reasons.”</p><p>Which really meant, Sapnap didn’t trust the other two to be able to defend them if need be, so he was first in line.</p><p>“Don’t touch any of the egg with your bare skin. I forgot to get Twitch Prime hazmat suits, but it’s not that big of a deal. Just be careful.” Sam slowly made his way across the large underground room, his bare feet carefully avoiding the vines spreading from the egg.</p><p>The egg itself wasn’t anything impressive. It was large and maroon colored, with red flecks. Vines wrapped around it, and they almost seemed to pulse with life. Which was fucking gross and creepy.</p><p>“If you get close enough, it’ll talk to you. Remember not to touch it,” Sam instructed as he stopped about ten feet from the egg. He gestured towards the egg, and all three fiances slowly made their way to standing right in front of the massive egg.</p><p>Karl looked up at the monstrous thing, and noticed that the vines actually were pulsing with life.</p><p>Fucking nasty.</p><p>“Hello, Sam. Oh, you brought friends?” A voice called out, the tone sounding happy but bordering on strained at the same time.</p><p>Someone with dark grey skin and a white and black hood emerged from behind the egg, his platform boots adding to his height- <i> Jesus fucking Christ, he’s tall</i>- and thumping the ground heavily as he made his way towards the four.</p><p>“Hello, Bad. They wanted some help, and I suggested the egg,” Sam replied tensely, his hand falling to rest on the belt of potions he wore.</p><p>“Ah, well, what do you need help with? I’m sure the egg would love to assist, even if there is a small price to pay,” The demon- Bad smiled, towering over them all.</p><p>Karl looked at his fiances, who seemed a little wary, but they all soon agreed to tell Bad what happened.</p><p>Bad listened intently, moving to sit down at one point so that he could look Karl in the eyes without hurting his neck. </p><p>“-and now we’re here,” Karl ended the story, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>“Mmm, yes, that is worrisome,” Bad mumbled, mostly to himself, before raising his voice. “Ask the egg about it. I’m sure it will offer some solutions.”</p><p>Karl glanced dubiously at Quackity and Sapnap, who both just gave a “go on” gesture. So he did.</p><p>“Hello, egg,” Karl said awkwardly, staring up at the massive shell. “You heard the story, right?”</p><p>
  <i>Oh, yes, indeed.</i>
</p><p>Karl jerked backwards, his ears ringing as the voice faded out. The egg… spoke in his head. It sounded like a hundred voices overlapping into one, with no specific tone being able to be identified, yet he understood all the same.</p><p>Sapnap stepped closer and set a hand on his shoulder, grounding Karl once more.</p><p>“Well, do you know how to bring my memories back?”</p><p>
  <i>Yes. But, what’s in it for me?</i>
</p><p>“Um.” Karl looked back at Sapnap and Quackity, who had no idea what was going on. “What do you want?”</p><p>
  <i>I don’t know yet. A soul would be nice.</i>
</p><p>“The fuck?” Karl stepped backwards abruptly, almost stepping on Sapnap’s foot.</p><p>“Language,” Bad piped up.</p><p><i>Kidding! Kidding!</i> A loud laugh rang out, sounding just as freaky as the voice. <i>Maybe you could pledge yourselves to the Eggpire.</i></p><p>“No. Absolutely not,” Karl shook his head vehemently. He may have fucked up a lot, but he refused to ruin his fiance's lives even more by asking that of them.</p><p>
  <i>Oh? Fiances? Ruin their lives even more? Now, what did little Karl do?</i>
</p><p>“I didn’t- That’s not what we’re talking about!”</p><p>
  <i>Oh, but it is now. Let’s see… You forgot them… Wow, that’s a dickhead move. How could you forget the loves of your life?</i>
</p><p>“I didn’t mean to! It’s not like it was on purpose!” Karl spit, his voice cracking. He could feel the tears welling up, but he refused to let them fall. </p><p>Sapnap’s grip tightened.</p><p>
  <i>I think it was your fault. Maybe if you had just tried harder to remember… What’s this? Oh… Oh no...</i>
</p><p>“What?! Did you find something?” </p><p><i>Well, Karl, it seems like this was your fault. You</i> knew <i>that if you continued to travel then you would forget them. But you did it anyways. What a good fiance you are, huh?</i></p><p>“I- No- I wouldn’t do that- Would I?” Karl pleaded with the egg, a few tears slipping out. He felt as Sapnap shifted so that his arm was around his shoulders, but he couldn’t have cared less right then.</p><p>
  <i>That’s what I’m seeing. Well, that’s all-</i>
</p><p>“No! No- please, tell me how I can get my memories back.”</p><p>
  <i>Ah. You need to find someone. The most powerful creature on this earth. Then you’ll find the answer. I must rest now, goodbye Karl.</i>
</p><p>“Wait! Wait- no- come back! Who is that? What is the answer? I need to know!” </p><p>But the voice didn’t respond. </p><p>Karl slowly dissolved into tears, noticing how Sapnap turned and gripped him in a tight hug. Quackity was quick to follow suit, hugging him from behind and burying his cheek into his shoulder.</p><p>Sam and Bad were many feet away, talking quietly together, before Bad rose to his full height and moved back towards the trio.</p><p>“This may be a bad time-”</p><p>“It is,” Sapnap deadpanned, glaring up at the demon. </p><p>“No- No, it’s fine,” Karl mumbled, pulling away from his fiances to look up at the demon. He wiped his face before speaking once more. “What’s up, Bad?”</p><p>“Well… I was wondering if you would be interested in joining the Eggpire?”</p><p>“Absolutely fucking not!” Quackity exclaimed, “Your dumbass egg just made Karl cry- no way in hell are we joining your stupid empire.”</p><p>“Language,” Bad scolded. “Besides, the egg didn’t mean it. It never does.”</p><p>“We aren’t going to join, Bad. We have better things to do right now,” Sapnap spoke up as he pushed his hair out of his face.</p><p>“We really do need to get going,” Karl agreed as he wiped at his face once more. “I got a clue, I guess.”</p><p>All attention turned to him, silently inquiring. </p><p>“The egg said we need to find the most powerful creature on this earth. They’ll have the answer.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s easy!” Sapnap laughed. “It’s Techno!” He sobered up quickly before adding on, “Karl, you’re probably the only one that can go see him. Quackity and I don’t have the best relationship with him.”</p><p>“What? Why not?” Karl asked.</p><p>Sapnap and Quackity glanced at each other before ultimately deciding now was not the time. </p><p>“Well, let’s go home, and we can tell you all about it, lo- Karl.” Quackity replied, swinging an arm around his shoulders as they made their way out of the underground.</p><p>“What about the Eggpire?” Bad called out to the retreating figures.</p><p>“Your egg can suck my dick!” Sapnap called back, laughing at the distant “Language!” that followed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>wow thanks for reading!!</p><p>this chapter feels v short, sorryyy</p><p>like i said last chapter, upload schedule is gonna be weir bc i (probably) have adhd and time and motivation are a Pain</p><p>stay safe, drink water, and try to eat if u havent already!!</p><p>&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. unwinding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>a light fluffy chapter, as a treat :)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“God, today was rough,” Sapnap groaned as he fell onto the couch.</p><p>“Hey, it could have been worse,” Quackity said as he walked towards the kitchen. “Someone could have gotten hurt. We’re lucky we didn’t. Anyways, what do you guys want for dinner? It’s Karl’s night to cook, but I’ll do it because there is no way in hell I am eating mac-n-cheese again.”</p><p>Karl stood behind the couch awkwardly. He didn’t remember making mac-n-cheese. He still couldn’t remember anything from before he arrived, no matter how hard he tried.</p><p>“Uhh, can we just order in?” Sapnap called out. “I’m craving some hot wings right now.”</p><p>Quackity appeared in the doorway with his phone in his hand. “Yeah, you want your usual, Karl?”</p><p>Karl nodded, though he had no idea what his usual was. He figured he would enjoy it, if he had gotten it enough in the past for it to be his “usual”.</p><p>“Karl,” Sapnap drawled, moving on the couch so that he wasn’t taking up the entire thing, “Come here and sit, we gotta decide on a movie.”</p><p>“A movie?” Karl asked, going to sit on the opposite end of the couch. If Sapnap noticed, he didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Yeah, might as well have a date night. It’ll make the day seem alright. So anyways, what movie?”</p><p>Karl blinked a few times, trying to process what the other man had said. A date night? Was he alright with that?</p><p>“Um,” Karl mumbled before turning to look at the TV. “What about Cars?”</p><p>“Hell yeah!” Quackity exclaimed, appearing in the doorway and rushing to flop onto the couch between the two. He stretched his arms out to wrap around their shoulders and pull Karl a little closer before saying “God, I love you, Karl. Great pick.”</p><p>Sapnap pouted at them, and Karl giggled when Quackity kissed their fiance's cheek quickly, immediately making him stop pouting to smile at him.</p><p>Karl cuddled up to Quackity, seemingly taking him by surprise, and rested his head on his fiance's shoulder before turning his attention to the movie. </p><p>“Speed. I. Am. Speed.”</p><p>+ + +</p><p>A knock on the door interrupted the movie. Quackity paused it while Sapnap moved to pay for the food.</p><p>“Oh, hey Niki! Why are you delivering? I thought you were the manager?”</p><p>Niki smiled and blew her pink bangs out of her face as she handed the food cartons to Sapnap. “I let everyone but Chef go home. It’s a slow night. That’ll be $38.47, Sap.”</p><p>Sapnap paid her, asking her to wish Chef a good night (“Of course!” She replied. “You should come by sometime, ey would enjoy cooking with you again.”). She bid them a good night, and left to walk back to her shop, stepping over a few of the vines on the way.</p><p>Sapnap watched her leave for a moment, before shutting the door and looking at his fiances. “We want plates, or just eat out of the to-go boxes?” </p><p>“To go boxes!” Quackity cheered, startling Karl who was still tucked into his side.</p><p>Karl smiled in affirmation, and Sapnap went to sit on the couch and hand out the food.</p><p>“This is fucking delicious,” Quackity mumbled through a mouthful of chicken.</p><p>“You’re fucking gross,” Sapnap spit back, “Swallow your food before you talk.”</p><p>Quackity stuck his tongue out in defiance, but he did swallow his food before speaking again. “So, who’s Chef?”</p><p>Sapnap wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, laughing at the disgusted look Karl gave him. “Oh, Chef was a friend of mine back in high school. Ey went by Arty back then, so I think ey just changed eir name when eir profession changed. Ey was a student teacher for the art class at one point.”</p><p>“Wait, so,” Karl looked up at Sapnap, noticing the glint in his eyes. “Would we refer to em as Chef Chef?”</p><p>Quackity started laughing and Sapnap chuckled. </p><p>“Nah, ey’s fine with just Chef. Speaking of which, I oughta go see em sometime. We haven’t talked in a few months.”</p><p>“You could visit em tomorrow?” Karl suggested, taking a bite out of his own chicken.</p><p>“We’re still trying to get your memories back though,” Sapnap replied, a look of discomfort sketching across his face.</p><p>Karl rolled his eyes before smiling softly. “Yeah, but you said I was the only one Techno might not kill on sight-”</p><p>“I did not say that-”</p><p>“-You implied it which is good enough. Besides, I might as well make new memories.”</p><p>“New memories?” Quackity questioned, his mouth full again.</p><p>Sapnap glared at him, and he apologized after laughing. </p><p>“Well,” Karl mumbled as he stared down at his food. “I’ve been thinking about what will happen if I never get my memories back. If I never remember who I was, and our memories. And- And I think I would have wanted to start again. Make new memories and live, rather than waste my time trying to remember the past.”</p><p>“Oh,” Quackity muttered, looking to Sapnap. “Does this mean your boundaries changed? Is there anything we can do differently for you?”</p><p>Karl thought for a moment, eating the last of his chicken while deep in thought. “I think my boundaries stay the same. I know we haven’t discussed them, but we should. Um.”</p><p>“No need to rush, dude,” Sapnap grinned. “We have all the time in the world.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Karl breathed heavily. “Time.”</p><p>Quackity noticed the heavy silence that fell and knew it was his turn to speak. “Well,” he grinned, moving all the empty cartons to the coffee table in front of them. “I think it’s time we finish this movie.”</p><p>Karl smiled back at him, and watched as Sapnap moved to lay his head on Quackity’s lap. His legs hung over the edge of the couch, but he didn’t seem to mind.</p><p>Karl hesitated before curling back up into Quackity’s side, resting his head on his shoulder.</p><p>“Um,” Quackity started, his voice shaking slightly for a moment. “This is okay?”</p><p>Karl nodded, and Quackity hit ‘play’ on the remote.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>When the movie finally ended, Karl sighed and reached for the remote to turn the TV off. </p><p>“Well, what now?” He asked, turning back to his fiances, only to find them asleep.</p><p>Quackity was sat upright, with his head leaning back and towards where Karl was sitting. Sapnap still laid on Quackity’s legs, but he was now curled up in a little ball with Quackity’s left hand interlaced with his own and held to his chest.</p><p>Karl smiled softly as he moved to get a couple blankets from his room. When he got back, he laid one on Sapnap, and then draped the other over himself and Quackity.</p><p>He curled up into Quackity’s side again, freezing when Quackity moved.</p><p>“Did I wake you up?” Karl whispered, regret clear in his voice.</p><p>“Mmh... '' Quackity mumbled, shifting slightly. “Nah… C’mere....”</p><p>Karl scooted closer, noticing how Quackity wrapped an arm around his waist and laid his head against Karl’s.</p><p>“Go to sleep, love, you’ve got a long day tomorrow,” Quackity mumbled into his hair.</p><p>“Okay…” Karl whispered, his heart fluttering.</p><p>Quackity planted a kiss on the side of his head, and then Karl was closing his eyes to succumb to unconsciousness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you're wondering why i'm getting so many chapters out so quick, the answer is i am neurodivergent and if i stop writing this fic will be abandoned lmao</p><p>ive decided on settling with 11 chapters, and i might add a 12th one if i decide to do an epilogue but who knows rn</p><p>short chapter, sorry abt that!! i'm still not quite comfy with these characters :/ but i'm trying!!!</p><p>don't forget to drink water, eat some food, and take a break from ur screen!!</p><p>&lt;3 venom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. begging</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>karl seeks out help, and finds it. but not in the person he expects.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure we can’t go with him?” Quackity directed at Sapnap, handing Karl a small shoulder bag.</p><p>“Dude, did you forget who gave you that scar?” Sapnap spat a bit too harshly, apologizing softly immediately after. “There’s no way he would help us if we went along.”</p><p>Quackity bit his lip and looked away from his fiances. He knew this, but he still didn’t want to agree. </p><p>“I’ll be fine,” Karl reassured them. “I’ve got netherite armor, and a netherite sword. Worst comes to worse, I’ll at least be able to fight back.”</p><p>Sapnap and Quackity shared a look that screamed <i>god, we are so fucked.</i></p><p>“I’m serious, guys,” Karl laughed, hitching his bag up onto his shoulder. “How bad can a pig man be?”</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“What the fuck are you doing here?” Said pig man growled as his axe rested on his shoulder. He stood almost a foot taller than Karl, which would have been intimidating enough if not for how fucking thick his arms were. They could snap him in half without even trying, jesus christ. His pink hair was held up in a bun, but seemed long enough to fall to his back. His ears were long and torn, with a few pieces of gold jewelry and an emerald hanging from one. His face was terrifying as well, with his scowl showing his tusks, and the scars that roamed his face. The most noticeable was one that went directly across his nose, and one that cut through his lips.</p><p>His outfit was regal looking, with a white ruffle shirt and black tight pants, as well as a red cape that connected at a clasp sitting on his shoulder. The axe he held was black, but shimmered purple with the enchantments set on it.</p><p>Karl was realizing how bad a pig man can be.</p><p>“Technoblade? I’ve come to ask for help,” Karl replied cautiously, raising his hands to show he had no weapons.</p><p>“Why would I help you? You’re married to that prick that tried to kill me,” Technoblade scoffed, shifting his axe.</p><p>“We’re engaged, not married,” Karl corrected, quickly moving on when seeing how Technoblade raised an eyebrow. “Not the point- But I could do something in return? Please, I’m running out of ideas.” Karl was aware that he was practically begging on a war criminal’s welcome mat, but he really did have nowhere else to go. Technoblade was the most powerful person on the planet, and he had no other clues from the egg.</p><p>Technoblade sighed and glanced behind him. He seemed to contemplate for a moment before he glanced back at the man on his doorstep. “Fine. But you owe me a favor.”</p><p>Karl breathed a sigh of relief as the other man let him inside. </p><p>“So, what do you need?” Technoblade asked, sitting down at the table and resting his axe against the wall nearby. Just in case.</p><p>Karl slowly sat across from him, resting his bag on his lap. He slowly started the story again, knowing all the words to the unofficial script. </p><p>When he finished, they sat in silence for a few moments. Technoblade stared at him contemplatively, and Karl shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. </p><p>“So what does this have to do with me?” Technoblade finally asked, crossing his arms over the table and leaning on them.</p><p>Karl blinked at him for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “You- You heard what I said? About the egg? Right?”</p><p>Technoblade looked him directly in the eyes for a moment before he lost his composure. He descended into a fit of laughter, with Karl watching in confused silence.</p><p>“I’m sorry- Am I missing something?” Karl asked harshly, but not in anger, rather desperation to know what he did wrong and if he could fix it.</p><p>When Technoblade had calmed down enough to talk, wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked directly into Karl’s eyes with a stupid grin. “You really think <i>I’m</i> the most powerful being on this planet? I have to say, I’m flattered.”</p><p>Karl stared at him in disbelief. His one chance, his one hope. “If- If not you, then who? Who is it? Where can I find them? I need to find them, Technoblade, please.”</p><p>Technoblade’s grin lessened, falling into a strained smile. “No need to freak out, Karl. Phil just went to tend to the bees. He’ll be back eventually. Just- chill out here for now and we can wait for him.”</p><p>Karl grabbed his bag tighter, squeezing the fabric as hard as he could. “Oh… Okay. Okay…”</p><p>And so the two sat in deafening silence, waiting for the blonde man to come back. Technoblade stared at his axe the majority of the time, and Karl stayed staring at his bag and squeezing it like his life depended on it.</p><p>A few times Karl tried to make conversation, but they always fell flat when Technoblade refused to give lengthy or personal answers. Eventually Karl stopped trying.</p><p>When Phil finally arrived, it was to the tense silence of two people that hardly knew each other. He hadn’t expected this, and had no time to prepare for the bombardment of questions that started when he opened the door.</p><p>“Can you help me? I’ve been told you’re the most powerful creature on the planet, is that true? Do you have powers? Wh-”</p><p>“Karl, let him rest for a moment. He’s old and senile,” Technoblade scolded, fighting the grin off his face.</p><p>“Oh, shut up,” Phil laughed, taking off his coat and hat and hanging them up in the closet. “Hello, Karl, how are you?”</p><p>Karl had heard a few sentences about Phil. He was mentioned in passing a few times, but never in detail. He wasn’t important enough for that. He <i>was</i> important enough to look familiar- sound familiar- smell familiar. </p><p>“I’m alright,” Karl replied warily. He knew how Phil sided with Technoblade, he knew how he killed his own son, and now he knew he was more powerful than who everyone thought was the most powerful creature on the planet.</p><p>Phil noticed the tension and started towards the kitchen. “Do either of you want some tea?”</p><p>Technoblade glanced at Karl momentarily before replying for them both. “Yeah, but don’t give us that green shit.”</p><p>Phil chuckled and started the stove. “So, Karl, why don’t you tell me why you’re here.”</p><p>+ + + </p><p>When Karl had finished his story, for what felt like the hundredth time, they all sat in comfortable silence, broken only by the quiet sips of tea.</p><p>“You know, I lose my memories too,” Phil started. It seemed like he had more to say, but was cautious about how much information he allowed past his lips.</p><p>“Yeah? Why is that?” Karl asked softly. He didn’t know boundaries that well. </p><p>“Well, Techno was right, I’m old as fuck,” Phil chuckled, but the smile soon fell from his lips. “I’m centuries old. I’ve seen loved ones die. I’ve met friends who have been reincarnated. I’ve seen rulers come into and fall out of power. Sometimes, I forget things too. Either by choice, or accident.”</p><p>Karl didn’t know what to say, so he just let his mouth move. “That sounds awful.”</p><p>Phil smiled grimly at him before taking his last sip of tea. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Have- Have we met before? You seem familiar, but I wasn’t going to say anything until- until you said that you’ve seen people reincarnated.” Karl shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his tea having gone cold a while ago.</p><p>Phil hesitated before letting his blonde hair fall in his face as he looked down. “No,” he mumbled unsurely, before he looked up into Karl’s eyes. “No, we have not met before,” he stated more firmly, like it was true. Or, like he was trying to convince himself.</p><p>“Oh,” Karl breathed in disappointment. “Well, do you know any way that can help bring my memories back?”</p><p>Phil glanced at Technoblade, who had sat in near silence during the entire conversation. The two shared a look, as if communicating telepathically, before they turned their head towards Karl in synchronization. </p><p>“I can make a potion,” Phil supplied. “It won’t bring back everything, and it may take a while, but you will remember some things. The only issue is that I need glowstone to brew it.”</p><p>“That’s it?” Karl asked excitedly, his grip on his bag tightening.</p><p>“Well, you’ll still owe us. But for now, yeah, that’s it.” Phil smiled at Karl, but it seemed off. </p><p>Karl stood up and grinned at them. “Thank you both, so, so much! I’ll be back within the week with the glowstone.” He bounced on his heels for a moment, before rushing out the door.</p><p>The cold wind bit at his cheeks as he ran home, but he couldn’t have cared less at that moment.</p><p>He was going to remember. His fiances, his home, his city, <i>himself.</i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi!! i'm trying smth a bit new here- writing at a decent time instead of 2am lol. hope it seems better!!</p><p>the chapters are still short, but dont worry the next few should be longer as we come up to the end</p><p>i might rewrite the beginning chapters, but idk yet</p><p>stay safe, drink water, and drop a kudos/comment/bookmark if u enjoyed!!</p><p>&lt;3 venom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. surprising</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>a trip to the nether for glowstone leads to some fun discoveries.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you know what's not surprising?</p><p>how geico can save you 15% or more on car insurance</p><p> </p><p>geico sponsor me challenge /j</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Glowstone is in the nether,” Sapnap stated, obviously displeased.</p><p>“Yeah? And?” Karl asked, following as Sapnap went to the garage to search through chests.</p><p>“You two aren’t going. I’ll go alone,” he replied, his tone leaving no room for arguing.</p><p>“Fuck that,” Quackity spat back, “We’re not letting you go alone.”</p><p>“Just listen to me, for once, Quackity,” Sapnap hissed, his back to them as he continued rummaging through chests.</p><p>“No! The nether is fucking dangerous, we’re-”</p><p>“That’s exactly why I don’t want you to go!” Sapnap spun on his heel, anger painted across his face, with fear hidden just underneath. He started to step towards his fiances before thinking twice. Instead, he stood where he was and dropped his voice quieter. “You never wear armor, Quackity. Not even during the goddamn <i>war.</i> Karl probably doesn’t even remember how to fight. There’s no way I can risk letting you guys go with me.”</p><p>“We can’t let you go alone, Sap,” Quackity started, getting cut off once more.</p><p>“What if we made a compromise?” Karl questioned, both men turning to look at him. “Both Quackity and I will wear armor. And we will go with you.”</p><p>“Absolutely not,” Sapnap shook his head, turning back to the chest to grab the weapons he was looking for earlier. </p><p>“Why not?” Quackity sighed, exasperated. </p><p>Sapnap pulled out a netherite chestplate and continued searching through different chests for the rest of the armor set. “We only have one set of netherite. I am not letting you two risk your lives for something this simple. I can go alone and be back within an hour.”</p><p>“And what if you slip, huh? Those cliffs aren’t exactly safe. Who’s going to help you if you fall in lava?” Quackity growled, his voice breaking slightly as he tried to keep his tears at bay.</p><p>Karl felt out of place.</p><p>“I’ll figure it out if I do,” Sapnap mumbled, pulling out the rest of the armor set. </p><p>“You’ll fucking die is what you’ll do!” Quackity cried out, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “I can’t lose you, Sap!”</p><p>Sapnap turned on his heel, quickly setting his armor down to hug his fiance. “I’m sorry. You won’t lose me, I promise, but I can’t let you go with me. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”</p><p>Karl <i>really</i> felt out of place as he watched the shorter man bring his arms up to grip at Sapnap’s shirt and hide his face.</p><p>“Hear me out,” Karl started, hesitating when the other men looked at him. “Um- What if I wear the netherite? Quackity and you can wear diamond armor. That way we’re all wearing armor, and even the weakest one here is safe.” He tried not to flinch at calling himself weak. He knew he wasn’t, but he wanted Sapnap to feel better.</p><p>“I still don’t like the idea of y’all in literal hell,” Sapnap stated as he pulled away from Quackity. “But, I have a feeling you’re going to go anyways. So, yeah. I guess that works.”</p><p>Karl smiled gratefully at him and went to the chests to continue searching for armor.</p><p>+ + +</p><p> </p><p>“Jesus Christ, it’s hot here,” Quackity stated as he followed behind Sapnap, who led the group. </p><p>“It is Hell,” Sapnap replied sarcastically, chopping at a few vines in the way with his axe. </p><p>Karl snickered to himself, catching Quackity’s glare and smiling extra wide at him. Quackity stuck his tongue out in response before giggling with him.</p><p>“Be careful, y’all,” Sapnap mumbled as he chopped at a few more vines. “Fuckin’ hogs are gonna start showing up soon.”</p><p>“Didn’t know cops used nether travel,” Quackity mumbled, catching Sapnap’s fake glare and feigning innocence. “What? I didn’t say anything.”</p><p>The trio walked for a few moments more before seeing any hogs. The foul creatures stunk, and they smelled them before they saw them. </p><p>They thought they were prepared. They were not.</p><p>There were only three hoglins, but the three were enough to get the trio fearing for their lives.</p><p>The only one with a netherite weapon was Sapnap, and it was his axe that was low on durability. Quackity was trying to use his enchanted diamond sword, but the critical hits kept missing, and the damn hog was hitting him more than he was hitting it.</p><p>Karl was having the best luck, miraculously. He had an unenchanted diamond axe, and unenchanted netherite armor, but he killed the hog faster than the other two with their enchanted weapons and mostly unenchanted diamond armor.</p><p>He watched his fiances for a second, trying to decide who was in more trouble. He immediately decided on Sapnap when he saw the axe break in his hands, and the nearly hidden fear crossing his face.</p><p>Karl gritted his teeth and rushed towards the hog, throwing a nearby stone at it to get it focused on him- and it fucking worked. The hoglin was visibly pissed as it charged towards him.</p><p>“Karl! Fucking <i>run!</i>” Sapnap called out, noticing how his fiance planted his feet in the ground.</p><p>Karl grinned crookedly as the hoglin neared, and dodged at the last second, hitting its side with his axe. The hog screamed, turning as quickly as it could to charge once more with its mouth wide open. </p><p>
  <i>”KARL!</i>
</p><p>Karl wasn’t sure where the shout came from, or who, but he heard it all the same and looked over to see the second hog that was previously focused on Quackity coming towards him instead.</p><p>He didn’t think at all. He let his body take control as he placed a block and used it to jump Quackity’s hoglin, resting a hand on its back as it went underneath him to use to push off. The hog ran straight into his block, knocking one of its teeth crooked. The other hog stopped just barely in time, turning to scream at Karl once more before charging again.</p><p>Karl laughed as he dodged it again, jumping up and down with both hands wrapped around his axe tightly.</p><p>He danced with the hogs for a few minutes more, dodging every attack they tried, and causing only minor injuries hoping he wouldn’t have to kill them. But, they wouldn’t let up and he was getting bored.</p><p>With a few final critical hits, the two hogs were dead, and Karl was standing by himself with blood on his clothes, and his axe in hand with almost full durability. </p><p>“Karl!” Sapnap cried as he barrelled into him, wrapping his arms so tightly around Karl he almost couldn’t breathe for a second. “You fucking idiot! What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten killed!”</p><p>“I-” Karl started, before having the air knocked out of him again as Quackity did the same thing. </p><p>“You motherfucker! You didn’t tell me you could fight like that!” Quackity squealed, “That was cool as fuck, l- dude!”</p><p>Karl hugged the two back, relishing in the comfort for a moment before pulling away. “I didn’t know I could do that. I just- I saw Sap in trouble and had to help.” He smiled shyly at Sapnap, who still looked worried.</p><p>“You could have gotten hurt, Karl,” Sapnap scolded, taking on the tone of a mother who’s just found out their kid stole cookies from the cookie jar before dinner. “That was stupid, and reckless.”</p><p>Karl’s smile fell a little as he stared at his feet. He twisted his hands around the axe anxiously as he apologized. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry, Sap. I won’t do it again.”</p><p>The silence was deafening.</p><p>“Well,” Sapnap reasoned, “that’s good… It was pretty fucking cool though.”</p><p>Karl looked up to see a proud grin on his face, and returned the grin with a hug.</p><p>They all took a moment to breathe before starting forwards again.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>Karl almost couldn’t believe his luck. He wasn’t expecting to survive that fight. He definitely wasn’t expecting to win. At best he would have run away, at worse… Well, he didn’t want to think about the worst outcome. He was so lucky that he knew how to fight before he lost his memories, and that his body already knew what to do. </p><p>And, the way Sapnap yelled his name with fear in his voice… It scared him, even if he wasn’t scared at the time. The way Sapnap was scared he would be hurt, it terrified him. He didn’t want to leave them again, he didn’t want to die yet. </p><p>The trio kept walking, with Quackity and Sapnap exchanging quiet conversation while Karl was off in his own world.</p><p>He kept thinking about the way Sapnap said his fighting skills were cool. He said it with such pride in his tone, like he was actually <i>proud</i> of Karl. Which shouldn’t make him as happy as it did. He kept running the words over in his mind, fighting off a smile every time he rewound them. </p><p>He kept thinking about Quackity’s near slip-up. It hadn’t gone unnoticed how the more outgoing Karl became, the more Quackity wanted to call him ‘love.’ This wasn’t the first time, and he was sure it wasn’t going to be the last. </p><p>He didn’t really want it to be the last.</p><p>The way he had to fight a smile at the thought of being called such a stupid pet name, and the way it felt like butterflies were swarming his stomach, only led him to thinking maybe, just maybe, he was falling in love. Again. </p><p>Karl really didn’t mind that. He liked it a lot. But of course he was worried, because he didn’t know if he would ever be the same Karl that he was before he forgot. He didn’t know if he could ever be that person again, even if he remembered. </p><p>Was this love? Wanting to hold someone close, and never let go. Simple words meaning more to you than others. Wanting their praise and affection all the time. Getting lost in thought staring at them, and thinking about them, and getting reminded of them by the littlest things. Would they count that as love? </p><p>He could ask, but he wasn’t sure they would take it well. What if this wasn’t love, and he got their hopes up for no reason? He couldn’t break their hearts again. He just couldn’t.</p><p>Karl was shaken from thought as his eyes caught sight of a glowing yellow block. “Hey! Over here!” He called to the other men who were spread out searching. He pointed up at the low ceiling. “There’s some glowstone, right?”</p><p>Sapnap and Quackity had briefed him on what glowstone looked like, and as they neared their fiance they knew they had explained it well enough. </p><p>“Fuck yeah! Let’s get that shit and get out of here,” Quackity cried as he started building a tower up to the glowstone. </p><p>When he had mined enough for Sapnap’s satisfaction, he slowly mined down the tower he built and pranced over to his fiances. He tossed the collected jarred dust into Sapnap’s backpack, happily bouncing on his feet with anticipation. “Let’s go already!”</p><p>Both Karl and Sapnap laughed, and they were off once more, this time with Karl leading. It went without saying that he was the best choice for the leader.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“You know that this might not do anything for a while? Or at all, correct?” Phil emphasized as he put the glowstone dust in the potion brewery stand. </p><p>“Yes,” the trio chorused, standing anxiously just inside the door of Technoblade’s cabin.</p><p>Technoblade himself sat in a large chair near the fireplace with the Orphan Obliterator in hand as he watched the men carefully. </p><p>“And you might get sick because of it?” </p><p>“Wait, get sick?” Sapnap echoed, his tone colored with confusion and worry. </p><p>“Yeah, mate,” Phil mumbled as he adjusted the brewery. “Nothing too serious. It’s similar to a cold or allergies.”</p><p>“Is that dangerous? Should we let him drink it?” Sapnap urged, leaning forward slightly.</p><p>“I think I can decide for myself if I want to drink the potion, Sap,” Karl objected, a frown crossing his face for a moment before he realized that Sapnap was just worried about him. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”</p><p>Sapnap looked at him and bit his lip before holding up his hand, pinkie extended. “Pinkie promise?”</p><p>Karl chuckled but agreed, wrapping his pinkie around his fiances. “Pinkie promise.”</p><p>“Hey, lovebirds, let me in here too,” Quackity whined, wrapping his pinkie around Karl’s with a smile. </p><p>A blush spread across Karl’s face as he laughed with the other two. He was happy. Really, and truly happy. </p><p>“Alright, mate, here you go,” Phil remarked as he stood up, holding a glass jar full with a bubbling purple liquid. “Drink up.”</p><p>Karl grabbed the potion almost as soon as Phil extended his hand, and downed it in two gulps.</p><p>They all waited with bated breath in silence, hoping for something, anything.</p><p>Karl burped loudly. </p><p>“Excuse me,” he laughed, embarrassed, as he handed the bottle back to Phil. </p><p>“Nothing?” Quackity asked genuinely, sadness just barely shading his tone. </p><p>Karl shrugged, the guilt weighing down on his shoulders. “I don’t remember anything that I didn’t before.”</p><p>“That’s alright. Sometimes it takes a while,” Phil grinned as he took care of the potion bottle and brewery stand. “Just try not push yourself too hard. It’ll only make you feel worse.”</p><p>Karl nodded in understanding, and followed Sapnap and Quackity home silently.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>longer chapter pog!!!</p><p>leave a comment/kudos/bookmark if u enjoyed- or not, no pressure either way :)</p><p>&lt;3 venom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. remembering</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>maybe, just maybe, things were going to be alright.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>is this fluff??? im trying y'all lmao</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Karl was choking. </p><p>His eyes were wide open but he saw nothing but the vast expanse of white ceiling. His hands flew to his throat and his nails tried to grab at whatever was suffocating him, but he couldn’t grasp it.</p><p>His vision started to dim at the edges as he felt his lungs burning from the lack of air. He tried again, and again, and again to rip away the thing around his neck, but failed.</p><p>He closed his eyes tightly, trying to breathe normally, but every breath felt like the last.</p><p>When he pulled in one last shaky breath, knowing this was the end, he opened his eyes.</p><p>He sat upright in bed, his heart racing and his breaths labored. His hands rose to his throat, trying to find the thing that was choking him, only to find nothing but sweat.</p><p>A choked sob left his throat, followed by another, and another, until he was sobbing to himself in the dead silent guest room. He tried to slow his breaths while getting his hands to stop shaking, when he saw it.</p><p>Red vines creeping in through the windows.</p><p>His hands started shaking harder as they reached toward his throat again, his knees curling up to his chest.</p><p>The vines were choking him. Or at least, they were in his dream. </p><p>He wasn’t sure it was a dream.</p><p>His sobs started coming faster as the vines pulsed, and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to find his voice.</p><p>“SAPNAP!”</p><p>Sapnap came rushing into the room mere minutes later, diamond axe held high. “Karl?!”</p><p>Karl barely took the time to look at his fiance, with his dark hair down for once, and heart pajama pants, before pointing at the vines. “Please,” he gasped, quickly bringing his hands to his neck again.</p><p>Sapnap didn’t hesitate to move to the window and chop at the red plants.</p><p>Karl closed his eyes so he didn’t have to watch; yet he still heard the soft squishing as the plants sliced apart, and Sapnap’s labored breaths as he swung again and again.</p><p>When it fell silent in the guest room, Karl hesitated for a moment before opening his eyes. Sapnap stood at the edge of the bed, his axe left on the window sill of the now closed window. His eyebrows creased in worry, but he didn’t seem like he wanted to get too close, in fear of overstepping Karl’s boundaries.</p><p>Karl didn’t give a single fuck anymore. He whimpered and opened his arms in invitation. Sapnap immediately climbed on the bed, tucking his legs underneath him as he brought his fiance closer. </p><p>Karl buried his face in the area between shoulder and neck, and let himself go. His shoulders shook as he let himself cry quietly.</p><p>One of Sapnap’s hands tangled in Karl’s hair, holding him in place gently, while the other rested against his upper back. He didn’t say much, only mumbling soft and encouraging words every now and again, as he waited for the panic to fade away.</p><p>They stayed like that for a while. Neither knew whether it was seconds, or minutes, or even hours. Time didn’t seem to exist in their little bubble.</p><p>Karl felt a sense of deja vu as he slowly started calming down- like he had been here before. Like he had done this before. </p><p>When he finally felt like a person again, he pulled away from the stronger man’s arms, wiping his tears with his uncalloused hands.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he mumbled, scrubbing at his face to hide his embarrassed blush. </p><p>“Hey, don’t apologize. I’m your fiance, it’s kinda my job,” Sapnap smiled awkwardly, his hands twisting together nervously. </p><p>Karl smiled awkwardly back, laughing quietly to himself. God, he was in such a predicament.</p><p>“I don’t know if this is a bad time, but do you remember anything yet?”</p><p>Karl thought to himself for a moment. He felt a sense of deja vu when Sapnap comforted him, but was that the same as remembering? No, he didn’t think so. He shook his head, trying to ignore the way Sapnap’s shoulders fell in disappointment, and the quickly concealed sadness that turned his lips downward.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he apologized again as he got up and stretched. Sapnap watched silently, following him when he left the room and headed to the kitchen.</p><p>“...Can you make breakfast? I don’t remember how,” Karl asked quietly, standing in the kitchen awkwardly.</p><p>Sapnap glanced at the clock on the wall, taking note of the time, before responding. “What if I teach you how? Just something simple for now, like eggs and toast.”</p><p>Karl glanced at the open doorway, his eyes catching the space where he first remembered… anything.  “What about Quackity?”</p><p>“He couldn’t fall asleep last night,” Sapnap grimaced, going to get a pan out of the cupboard. “I think it’s best we just let him sleep for now. Besides, maybe we can make him breakfast in bed.”</p><p>Karl smiled at the idea, moving to wash his hands as he watched Sapnap set the pan on the stove and reach to spray it with cooking oil. </p><p>Karl stood awkwardly drying his hands for a bit too long. </p><p>“Don’t just stand there! Get the eggs out. And a bowl!” Sapnap playfully snapped, finishing spraying the pan and digging through drawers to grab a whisk.</p><p>Karl did as asked, carefully juggling the carton of eggs with the glass bowl as he moved to set them on the counter.</p><p>“Alright, I’m gonna show you how to crack an egg properly. My mom taught me the best way,” Sapnap boasted as he set the whisk aside, and reached for the egg carton. “So, what you’re gonna do is smack it on something- but not too hard!”</p><p>He laughed to himself- silently realizing he forgot to wash his own hands. He did so before he demonstrated his words by lightly hitting the egg on the side of the bowl.</p><p>“And then, you’re gonna take your thumbs and pry that bitch apart,” he continued as he cracked the egg and the yolk fell into the bowl. “Ta-da!”</p><p>Karl watched with interested eyes, which widened when Sapnap held an egg out to him. “I have to do that?”</p><p>Sapnap chuckled as he tossed the egg shells in the nearby trash can. “Just try it!”</p><p>Karl hesitated before doing as his fiance instructed. He didn’t hit it hard enough though, and had to pry the egg a little too much, letting bits of shell fall into the bowl. “God dammit!”</p><p>Sapnap dug into the bowl, picking out the pieces with his bare hands. “Eh, it’s no big deal. Try again!”</p><p>So, Karl tried again. The second time there were less shell bits, and the third time there were none at all. He started getting better at it, though he messed up once or twice, and had to have Sapnap stop him from cracking the whole dozen.</p><p>“You really like that, huh?” Sapnap laughed, raising his eyebrows as he handed the whisk to Karl.</p><p>“Ew, what’s that supposed to mean?” Karl grabbed the whisk, staring at it for a moment. “What’s this for?”</p><p>“Whisk them,” Sapnap replied as he hopped up onto the counter. “We’re making scrambled eggs.” He swung his legs back and forth, his heels quietly hitting the cupboards every few seconds.</p><p>Karl shrugged to himself, but did as told. </p><p>A few minutes in, Sapnap had to slow him down and laugh for a moment, as Karl kept trying to go faster and ended up almost spilling the raw egg mixture.</p><p>Three times.</p><p>But soon the eggs were fully mixed- or at least, close enough- and ready for cooking.</p><p>“I’m gonna go put the bread in the toaster, you pour the eggs in the pan and turn it on,” Sapnap instructed as he walked to the other side of the kitchen.</p><p>“A- Alright…” Karl replied softly, trying to do exactly as instructed. </p><p>“And grab a spatula! It’s easiest to use.”</p><p>A few moments pass, with Karl trying his best to keep the eggs from burning, and Sapnap monitoring the toast, before it starts going wrong.</p><p>Karl tried to flip a big part of the eggs, and realized he had burnt part of it. When he noticed that, he tried flipping all of them, and accidentally flipped a few pieces off the side. He felt tears well up, as he turned the heat down and tried to fix it, only to spill more eggs over the edge.</p><p>Sapnap must have noticed his quiet sobs, because he was soon right behind him, wrapping his arms around Karl’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder. He silently turned off the stove, and wrapped his hand around Karl’s to stab at the eggs a little bit to break them up.</p><p>Karl giggled wetly when Sapnap struggled to mix the eggs up standing so far away, and without being able to hold the pan.</p><p>Sapnap turned his head downwards a bit, resting his mouth against Karl’s shoulder as he sighed, though they both knew it was an act.</p><p>“Aww, is Sappy struggling to mix the eggs?” Karl teased, wiping at his eyes.</p><p>“You shut up,” Sapnap growled playfully.</p><p>“Make me,” Karl grinned.</p><p>“Oh? You really wanna go down that road?”</p><p>Karl looked over to lock eyes with his fiance, grinning right at him. “Try me.”</p><p>Sapnap quickly moved the spatula, dropping it on the stove and away from all burners, before pulling Karl away from the stove.</p><p>Karl followed blindly, slightly confused, before Sapnap started digging his fingers into his sides.</p><p>“No!” Karl giggled as Sapnap tickled him relentlessly. “No- Sap- please!”</p><p>“‘Try me’ he says,” Sapnap mocks with a grin on his face, watching Karl hunch over. “But then can’t take it when I take him up on the offer.”</p><p>Karl giggled as Sapnap’s fingers danced up and down on his sides, his laughs getting louder and more broken as his fingers got higher. “Okay! Sap!” He laughed as he playfully shoved his arms away.</p><p>Sapnap backed up, letting Karl breath before he straightened up to his full height.</p><p>“So, you wanna try those eggs again?”</p><p>+ + + </p><p>“You guys cooked all of this for me?” Quackity asked, sitting upright in bed.</p><p>“No, dumbass, it’s for all of us,” Sapnap bit playfully as he leaned back against the headrest.</p><p>He and Karl had redone the eggs, tossing out the old ones. These eggs were more evenly cooked, and far less burnt. The toast was fine, except for Karl’s, which was barely toasted and heavily buttered so it was soggy.</p><p>Karl didn’t even know how good it was until Sapnap forced him to eat one earlier. Turns out, Sapnap remembered how he liked his toast.</p><p>Now the three sat on the bed, all criss cross with plates of egg and toast in front of them.</p><p>Quackity scowled at Sapnap, but it was in a loving and playful way. “Rude, bitch.”</p><p>Sapnap stuck his tongue out before digging into his food.</p><p>The trio ate quietly, barely echanging words besides the polite “this is fucking delicious” and “swallow your food before you speak”.</p><p>Karl had finished his food quickly, not having much to say, before deciding he may as well bring up a few things.</p><p>“Um,” he started, noticing how both pairs of eyes were trained on him and he squirmed uncomfortably. “Do you think we could go shopping sometime? My last couple pairs of clothes aren’t exactly in good condition anymore.”</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Quackity replied quickly. “How about as soon as we’re done?”</p><p>Karl blinked in surprise. “Uh- yeah- yeah, that sounds great.” He smiled gratefully at them both, hesitating again to speak. “And- and there’s another thing.”</p><p>Sapnap and Quackity shared worried glances.</p><p>“Nothing bad!” Karl quickly clarified, watching the expressions fall much more neutral and curious. “I just- I wanna talk about my boundaries.”</p><p>“Oh! Yeah, we were supposed to talk about those, huh?” Sapnap chuckled, taking his last bite of egg and setting his plate on top of Karl’s.</p><p>Karl nodded jerkily before looking down at his hands to see them playing with the thin black bracelet around his wrist. The same bracelet that held his engagement rings.</p><p>“I… God, this is awkward,” he huffed to himself, embarrassed that he was struggling so much. “I’m…”</p><p>“You can take all the time you need, Karl,” Quackity said, his mouth not full of chewed food for once.</p><p>Karl stared down at the rings for a bit more, twisting them this way and that, before he realized the engravings. </p><p>The rings were nothing fancy- just a couple solid solver bands. On the outside were the letters “Q” and “S”, on different rings, respectively. On the inside of one, it said “For all the pasts” and on the other it said “and to all the futures”.</p><p>Karl smiled softly at them, knowing he couldn’t stay silent much longer. “Alright. I’m fine with it all. Well, mostly. I’m not sure about kissing and shit.”</p><p>“Please tell me I can use pet names,” Quackity pleaded, a joking tone coloring his voice with sincerity just beneath. </p><p>“You can use pet names.”</p><p>“Oh, Karl, my love, my dear, my sweet baby, thank god,” Quackity sighed in relief, making Karl giggle softly.</p><p>“And I can cuddle again?” Sapnap asked quietly, avoiding Karl’s eyes.</p><p>“Yeah, that would be nice,” Karl smiled.</p><p>Karl barely noticed how Quackity moved the plates before he was being swallowed in hugs by his fiances. He laughed as they pulled him close, not knowing which limbs were who’s, but not caring all the same.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“Here, take these,” Quackity said as he shoved several button up bowling-alley-carpet-esque shirts into Karl’s arms. “Go into the dressing room and try them on. And not the way you want to wear them- make sure they button all the way up and nicely.”</p><p>Karl stood for a moment, processing his words, before turning to the dressing rooms. He stepped inside the nearest one, laying the shirts down on the handy little table, before starting to unbutton his current button up shirt.</p><p>He had felt off all day, but he didn’t want to worry his fiances. It wasn’t anything too abnormal- his head just went fuzzy sometimes.</p><p>Which it was doing now. Fuck- what was he doing again?</p><p>Oh, yeah, trying on shirts. </p><p>He shook his head, trying to clear the feeling out of his head but accidentally only making it worse. His vision started going dark, and he tried to sit down before passing out, but he didn’t know if he made it that far.</p><p>His eyes slipped shut, and he was gone.</p><p>When his eyes opened once more, he was laying on the floor of what looked to be a small library. There were half filled shelves with the same brown leather bound books on every wall. </p><p>Karl stepped closer to one of the walls, reaching out for a book. He slipped it off the shelf, noticing how they all lacked a title or author, and opened it.</p><p>There were words. Somehow, he knew that. In a language he recognized, but the words were blurred out. Like someone had spilled water across parchment and ink. </p><p>He flipped a few pages, noticing that all the pages were like that. So he grabbed another book and tried again.</p><p>Same result.</p><p>He tried again. And again.</p><p>He was reaching for a fifth book, expecting no different answer, when he was hurled back into the dressing room.</p><p>He opened his eyes to see Quackity staring down at him with worry in his eyes, and Sapnap talking animatedly on the phone.</p><p>He felt like his ears were filled with cotton as he tried understanding anything. Quackity’s mouth moved but the sound of his voice barely registered in Karl’s mind.</p><p>A few moments passed, with Karl staying in place, and Sapnap continuing to speak on his phone.</p><p>When Karl’s hearing came back, it was with a slight pop and then a ringing.</p><p>He sighed as he sat up slowly, brushing off Quackity’s hand on his back. “I’m fine- I’m fine.”</p><p>“You just fainted! You are not ‘fine’, love,” Quackity despaired.</p><p>Sapnap glanced at the two before replying a few more times and hanging up. “Karl, are you alright? Did you hit your head?”</p><p>Now that he thought about it, his head did hurt. “I’m alright. I think I hit my head though.”</p><p>“Fuck- do you think he has a concussion?” Quackity asked Sapnap, worriedly glancing between the two.</p><p>“I don’t think so,” Sapnap replied warily, “It sounded like he was sitting and just- fell over. Phil said this was normal, and he apologized for not mentioning it earlier.” </p><p>“You called Phil?” Karl asked, but it wasn’t accusatory- just curious.</p><p>“Yeah. We didn’t exactly know what happened. What did happen, Karl?” Sapnap asked.</p><p>Karl quickly retold the events, from how he felt off all morning after breakfast up to the current moment.</p><p>“Was that a memory?” Quackity looked at Sapnap excitedly.</p><p>“That… That sounded like you were describing your library,” Sapnap directed at Karl.</p><p>“My library?”</p><p>“You showed it to me once- before you moved it. It’s where you kept a bunch of journals about when and where you time traveled.”</p><p>“<i>Time traveled?</i>” Quackity and Karl exclaimed in sync. </p><p>“Fuck- I wasn’t supposed to mention that,” Sapnap looked sadly at Karl. “Sorry, past Karl.”</p><p>“Who gives a fuck about him? Tell us more, Sap. Please?” Karl asked, standing up and offering a hand to Quackity.</p><p>Sapnap gathered the unworn shirts up. “You didn’t tell us much. You told Quackity and I you were forgetting a lot. You only told me that you time traveled. You said how you journaled each of your trips, but refused to show me the books in case I tampered with history.” He chuckled softly as he hung the shirts up on the designated rack just outside the dressing rooms.</p><p>“Oh…” Karl mumbled to himself. “We should find that room.”</p><p>“There’s no point,” Sapnap sighed. “I think you lost your memories because the universe decided you couldn’t have memories from the past, future, and present. Maybe I’m wrong- but I don’t want to risk it. We aren’t losing you twice, Karl.”</p><p>Karl bit his tongue, and decided to agree for the time being. Yet, on the way home, all he could think about was finding that damn library.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi hi hi!!! hope this is good!! </p><p>only a few more chapters owo </p><p>idk if there will be a sequel!! if there is, it will take a while bc i wanna write the whole thing b4 posting it :]</p><p>drop a kudos/comment/bookmark if u enjoyed - no pressure tho!!</p><p>&lt;3 venom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. rewinding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>cw for derealization (but it isn't too bad)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He couldn’t breathe. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling and he couldn’t breathe. His hands were gripping the sheets and he couldn’t breathe. His mouth was open and he was screaming, he had to have been screaming, but he couldn’t breathe. </p><p>Karl felt himself going lightheaded, black spots appearing across his vision. His mouth was open so wide, yet he couldn’t pull any air in. He was trying, he was trying so hard he closed his eyes to focus better.</p><p>This was real, this was real, this was real.</p><p>Karl’s hands untwisted from the sheets to pull at his throat, and he felt a thick and cold vine pulsing and wrapping tighter. He tried to pull at it, but his nails wouldn’t catch onto anything and he couldn’t… he couldn’t…</p><p>With one last gasping breath, he called out the only name he could think of. “Quack!..”</p><p>He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness as the guest room’s door slammed open.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“C’mon Karl, you can’t die just yet,” a voice whispered closely, as Karl started to wake.</p><p>“Just give him time, Sap, he’s fine. His heartbeat is strong- He’ll be fine,” another voice replied softly, farther than the first one.</p><p>Karl slowly blinked his eyes open, staring up at one of his fiances.</p><p>“Karl!” Sapnap exclaimed as he wrapped him up in his arms. Karl hesitantly hugged him back, taking in his surroundings. </p><p>He was still in the guest room, but now with his fiances. The window was closed, with red… slime coming from it. Sapnap had his back against the bed’s headboard, and Karl’s head had originally rested on his lap. Quackity sat criss cross beside Sapnap, and Karl suddenly realized that he had a hand in his hair the entire time. </p><p>When Sapnap released him, Karl scooted in front of the other two men, moving to tuck his legs in a position similar to Quackity’s. </p><p>“What- What happened?” Karl asked, his voice a bit rough. His fiances winced almost simultaneously, before he got a response.</p><p>“The vines got inside,” Sapnap stated, his tone hard. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you sleep alone. This is all my fault, I’m sor-”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Both Sapnap and Karl turned to look at Quackity. </p><p>“This was nobody’s fault. It was a mistake underestimating the vines, but we won’t do it again,” Quackity sighed softly at the end, sending an apologetic look towards the others. “I’m sorry, but I think we’ll need to visit the egg again.”</p><p>Karl looked down at his hands. He really didn’t want to, especially after what happened last time, but he knew that it might be the only way. The vines did just try to kill him after all, maybe speaking with the egg would help somewhat. </p><p>“Okay,” Karl muttered. “We can go visit the egg. Just- Just as long as you guys are right next to me.”</p><p>Quackity smiled softly, while Sapnap grinned. They both reached forward to take one of Karl’s hands. </p><p>“There was no way we were letting you go alone,” Quackity laughed. “Dumbass.”</p><p>The trio soon agreed that it was a bit too risky to let Karl sleep alone, and so they all migrated to the main bedroom. Karl fell onto the bed, passing out almost immediately, and his fiances followed quickly after.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“You’re joking!” Sapnap laughed, brushing his and Quackity’s shoulders together.</p><p>“No! I’m dead serious!” Quackity cackled, “she genuinely thought I was a dad!”</p><p>“What did you tell her?” Karl asked curiously, linking his and Quackity’s hands together. </p><p>“I told her that I’m a minor.”</p><p>The three descended into laughter, falling into each other softly. They continued walking towards the ferris wheel, their hearts full with love, and their faces warm from happiness.</p><p>When they got to the ride, Karl handed the operator their tickets, and they were let into the ferris wheel. Karl sat beside Quackity, who sat between Sapnap and Karl. The trio smiled at each other with their hands linked gently.</p><p>“Karl?”</p><p>“Yeah?” Karl mumbled, smiling over at Sapnap.</p><p>“Karl?”</p><p>Karl felt himself falling again.  The world- if that was where he was- moved too fast for him to see it. He couldn’t recognize where he was. He was falling, but where would he end up?</p><p>“Karl?!”</p><p>Fuck, was he forgetting again? He started panicking, trying to remember. What was his name? Karl. Karl… Karl Johnson. He was engaged to Quackity and Sapnap, and he planned to marry them in the next year. He arrived in the living room, and he had forgotten everything. They visited Dream in the prison to ask for help, and he did nothing. They visited the egg, and he cried. He went to find Technoblade, but instead-</p><p>“Karl!”</p><p>-instead he found Philza, who was the most powerful creature on the planet. He and his fiances traveled to get glowstone for Philza to brew the memory potion. He dreamed that the vines suffocated him, and then he remembered something. He…</p><p>“KARL!”</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“Karl! Please be okay- please please please- I just need you to be okay, please Karl,” A voice whispered softly. </p><p>“His heartbeat is fine, Sap,” another voice mumbled, “he’ll be alright.”</p><p>Karl slowly blinked his eyes open, a sense of deja vu overwhelming him as Sapnap pulled him in tightly for a hug.</p><p>“Thank fuck you’re okay, Karl,” Sapnap breathed into Karl’s hair. “I was really worried…”</p><p>“What- What happened?” Karl croaked, wincing at his creaky voice.</p><p>Sapnap slowly released him, letting Quackity pull him in for a quick hug as well. “The vines got inside and were choking you.”</p><p>Karl ripped away from Quackity to look at Sapnap. “Wha- What? What did you say?”</p><p>“They climbed through the window,” Sapnap sighed. “Quackity heard your shout and axed them. We’ve just been waiting for you to wake up.”</p><p>Karl’s head was spinning like a top. He had already gone through this, hadn’t he? Or did he dream it? Maybe he was imagining the last time? Was this even real?</p><p>Fuck, was he even real?</p><p>“Didn’t this happen already?” Karl asked quietly, ignoring the concerned look that Sapnap and Quackity shared.</p><p>“You had a dream about it last night, but that was it,” Quackity inserted. “Are you feeling alright, Karl?”</p><p>“Yeah… Yeah, no, I’m fine,” Karl smiled, but it was obviously strained. “D- Do you think we need to visit the egg? To stop this?”</p><p>“I was just going to suggest that,” Quackity sighed. “But only if you’re comfortable with it. Sap and I will be there with you, of course. No way we’re letting you go alone, dumbass.”</p><p>Karl inhaled sharply, shaking his head quickly. “Okay. I’m good if you guys are there. Right by my side.”</p><p>The trio smiled at each other, the agreement binding. </p><p>“Okay,” Sapnap yawned, “I think it’s time to go back to bed.”</p><p>“I’m not comfortable letting Karl sleep alone,” Quackity quickly stated, looking to Karl with an apologetic look.</p><p>“We- We can just sleep in the main bedroom,” Karl offered, getting a unanimous agreement.</p><p>The trio made their way back to the main bedroom, all three falling asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hey besties, let's not talk abt how its been like two weeks since the last update!!</p><p>i've thought abt this fic every single day since, i just couldnt get the energy to write</p><p>this isn't my favorite chapter (in fact i hate it) but it is just a filler, and it was neccessary</p><p>dont forget to drink water &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. fighting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>they confront the egg, and consequentially, bad.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Back for more?</i> The egg hissed.</p><p>Karl tightened his grip on the axe, and stepped closer. “Why are you trying to kill me?”</p><p>Laughter echoes through Karl’s head. Sapnap noticed how his fiance tensed, and though he couldn’t hear what was being said, he reached over to hold Karl’s hand protectively. </p><p>
  <i>That was just to get your attention. You obviously weren’t coming back any time soon, so I had to take… drastic measures.</i>
</p><p>“Why did you want my attention, then?”</p><p>
  <i>You owe me, Karl… I helped you get your memories back. Eye for an eye, and all.</i>
</p><p>Karl sucked in an uneasy breath quickly, shifting his weight. “What do you want?”</p><p>
  <i>Blood.</i>
</p><p>“Absolutely not!” Karl burst, noticing Quackity and Sapnap’s worried glances. “It said that it wants blood.”</p><p>“Okay, so who can we sacrifice?” Sapnap joked lightly.</p><p>Quackity punched his arm, hard, hissing “We can’t sacrifice anyone, dickhead!”</p><p>“What if we just… killed it?” Karl muttered under his breath. Sapnap grunted in agreement, and Quackity shrugged. </p><p>Karl’s grip tightened on his axe, and Sapnap unsheathed his sword. Quackity looked at the two before raising his own sword. </p><p>“Well… Let’s do this,” Quackity sighed, stepping towards the egg.</p><p>A long, thin tail with a point at the end slammed into his chest, throwing him to the ground and his sword out of reach.</p><p>“I can’t allow you to do that,” Bad growled as he emerged from behind the egg. Behind him stood an anthropomorphic cat, and a blonde man.</p><p>“We’ll fucking do it anyways,” Sapnap hissed, quickly helping Quackity up. All three braced themselves as Bad’s scowl deepened.</p><p>“Antfrost, you get Quackity. Punz, get Sapnap,” Bad directed, his tail flicking angrily. “I’ll get Karl.”</p><p>The cat- Antfrost- rushed at Quackity, swords clashing as the two met. Quackity was on the defense from the start, and quickly started to fall back as Antfrost pushed forward with his attacks. The sound of metal colliding ground on Quackity’s ears, and he knew that he wasn’t going to last long.</p><p>Punz instead walked towards Sapnap, letting the older man take the offense. Punz blocked every swing with ease, and cut through loose pieces of Sapnap’s clothes every now and again. Sapnap grit his teeth as he realized that Punz was barely even using any energy, and started to swing harder, hoping the blonde would get on with it already.</p><p>Karl watched as they fought, soon remembering that he too was supposed to be fighting. He stared up at Bad, who was striding towards him with a sword almost as tall as Karl. He darted between the demon’s legs, and spirited away to a little nook in the corner that was hidden from sight. He watched through the vines as Bad turned around, and only grew angrier as he realized he had lost sight of Karl.</p><p>Karl redirected his attention just in time to see both Antfrost and Punz disarm his fiances. Punz darted behind Sapnap, and grabbed him tightly as he brought the sword to his throat. Antfrost watched him, and did the same thing except less smooth. The two looked to Bad, who squared his shoulders roughly.</p><p>“We can sacrifice those two to the egg,” Bad grinned. He raised a hand to gesture for Antfrost to go first, when Karl walked out of his hiding spot.</p><p>“Sacrifice me,” Karl spat, his blood boiling. </p><p>“Karl! Don’t!” Quackity snapped, worry concealed just under his tone.</p><p>Sapnap lurched forward, being slammed into the ground by Punz. The blonde kneeled on his back, keeping his sword close to his throat. “Fucking- Karl, it’s not worth it.”</p><p>Karl stared back at his fiances before moving quickly up the staircase leading to the top of the egg. “Anything is worth protecting you two.”</p><p>“Oh, how sweet!” Bad cooed condescendingly. “Take off your armor, Karl. When you hit the egg, you’ll be absorbed, and we can’t have some precious diamond armor getting in the way of that.”</p><p>Karl slowly took off his armor, handing it to a nearby Bad who set it aside. Bad patted him down quickly and roughly in his eagerness to please the egg. Karl grimaced as Bad removed the dagger from where it was encased on his belt. Another pat down, and Bad pushed Karl slightly forward. </p><p>“Try anything and your husbands die,” Bad laughed evilly, glancing back at the still restrained men.</p><p>“Fiances, actually,” Karl looked down at said fiances with a sad smile. </p><p>Sapnap stared up at him from the ground, his eyes wide in fear. Despair painted his features, and as Karl locked eyes with him, tears fell. “Karl!..”</p><p>Quackity looked on in silent acceptance. Tears rolled down his face quickly, and his lip was held tightly between his teeth until they looked at each other. Quackity smiled just as sadly, his shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping himself together.</p><p>Bad pushed Karl again, and he sighed. He saluted his fiances before blowing them both kisses. </p><p>He stepped off the platform, and flicked a small dagger from his sleeve. It had been Sapnap’s idea, and he was so fucking glad he took him up on it. He turned just slightly, and reached his hand out so that he sliced a sizable gap before he hit the shell.</p><p>His vision went red, and he screamed as he felt the dagger slice through his flesh- or at least it felt like it. He faintly recognized that more people were screaming, but that wasn’t his main focus.</p><p>The egg was cracking, quickly, and red ooze started to pour from within.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. flickering</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A small creature crawled out of the massive egg, slowly growing in size as it moved. Bad rushed to drape a robe around it, seemingly finding no issue with the red slime that covered the creature. It took mere moments for the creature to stand, and soon Karl was as well. </p><p>Bad and Ant exclaimed welcoming phrases, praising the creature as it started to clean itself. Slime fell away to show short red hair, and piercing red eyes. It’s skin was fair, with freckles covering it entirely. It grinned wickedly at Bad, who kneeled in front of it. </p><p>Punz watched warily in silence, not looking pleased at this development.</p><p>“<i>BadBoyHalo?</i>” The creature hissed. “<i>How dare you take so long to release me?</i>”</p><p>“I didn’t know that was what you wanted, your highness,” Bad breathed, fear lacing his words.</p><p>“<i>You fool!</i>” The creature spat, gliding up to the demon angrily. “<i>Of course I wanted out! How would you feel being stuck inside an empty fucking room covered in nothing but slime for months?</i></p><p>“I’m sorry, your highness,” Bad apologized.</p><p>“<i>Damn right you are! And call me Velvet.</i>”</p><p>During this little argument, Punz had quietly moved away from Sapnap, and restrained Antfrost with the vines. He made sure that his gloves had no tears while doing so, as he couldn’t afford to be hypnotized by the- by Velvet as well. </p><p>“Velvet! The prisoners escaped!” Karl yelled, completely under the control of Velvet.</p><p>The creature glared at Punz, and the other men that had gotten up and were holding vines. Velvet snapped its fingers, and Bad immediately started towards the traitor and prisoners, intending to scoop them up quickly and easily.</p><p>Instead, Quackity pulled a vine tightly, effectively tripping the giant demon, and Sapnap and Punz immediately rushed to tie his limbs together. They started to bind the demon quickly, ignoring all his protests and Velvet’s disappointed sigh.</p><p>“You,” Velvet muttered, looking to Karl. “Kill them.”</p><p>Karl grinned wickedly as his hand found the dagger that had cut the egg open. He gripped it tightly, and ran at his fiances.</p><p>Quackity was the closest and was soon attacked. He quickly blocked the dagger with a nearby sword. The two stared each other down, their faces showing madness and fear. Karl stepped back, rushing forward to drive the knife into Quackity’s side. </p><p>Quackity dove to the side, finding himself royally screwed as Karl quickly kicked the sword away and dropped to straddle his chest. One hand was trapped between Karl’s leg and his own side, and the other was quickly grabbed by Karl. </p><p>Punz and Sapnap were tying knots as quickly and effectively as possible, hoping that there was enough time for them to still save Quackity.</p><p>Karl brought the dagger to Quackity’s throat, pressing the edge lightly against it. He grinned wickedly as he watched his hand press slightly harder. Until he locked eyes with Quackity.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“What are you doing?” Quackity laughed as Karl straddled his stomach.</p><p>Karl braced his arms on either side of the other man’s head, smiling softly. “Hi.”</p><p>“Hey,” Quackity giggled, moving his hands to rest around his fiance's neck. “Seriously, what are you doing?”</p><p>Karl shrugged awkwardly, his eyes crinkling with joy as Quackity ran a hand through his hair softly. “What are <i>you</i> doing?”</p><p>“Well, I am currently staring at my very beautiful, very amazing, very adorable, very smart, very-”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Karl snorted, lowering himself to tuck his face into Quackity’s neck and wrap his arms behind his head.. “You don’t have to list every positive adjective.”</p><p>Quackity chuckled as he continued running a hand through Karl’s hair. “Oh, but I want to.”</p><p>Karl smiled into his neck, sighing softly. He was home.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“Karl?”</p><p>Karl blinked down at Quackity. Still beneath him, still restrained, still as terrified as ever.</p><p>“<i>Kill him already!</i>” Velvet growled.</p><p>Karl’s hand started to shake with the effort to not follow orders. His grip loosened on Quackity’s hand, and his eyes shut tightly. <i>Focus Karl,</i> he thought to himself. <i>You can do this- just- focus.</i></p><p>Quackity freed one of his hands, and reached up to rest it on Karl’s cheek. “Karl? Love?”</p><p>+ + + </p><p>“Love?” Quackity whispered. “Are you alright?”</p><p>Karl shook his head, trying to stop his shaking. He couldn’t breath and he couldn’t think and he couldn’t-</p><p>Quackity’s hand rested softly on his cheek, and Karl pushed into it like a cat. </p><p>“It’ll be okay. Can I hold you?”</p><p>Karl shook his head violently.</p><p>“Okay- okay- am I okay to keep my hand here?”</p><p>Karl nodded, already feeling the touch ground him to earth.</p><p>“I’m right here, love.” Quackity whispered. “Come back to me…”</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“Come back to me, Karl,” Quackity begged tearfully. “Please,”</p><p>Karl leaned into the touch, before he realized he had regained his autonomy. He quickly pulled the dagger away and stared down at his fiance. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered brokenly, his face falling.</p><p>“Now’s not the time, love,” Quackity whispered before they both got up, quickly rushing to help Punz and Sapnap.</p><p>They finished the knots moments later, and turned to Velvet. </p><p>Karl stared at his fiances with tears in his eyes, and he knew that he loved them like before. Before he had forgotten, and lost the most valuable relationships he ever had. </p><p>Karl looked around and grabbed an abandoned chestplate, slipping it on quickly. He wiped his eyes, and steeled his gaze as he led them all towards Velvet.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. ending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Karl couldn’t remember the fight, if he was honest. Not that he was forgetting again, just that it was all a blur of adrenaline and sweat. </p><p>Velvet fought valiantly, and almost beat them multiple times, but it was quickly pushed back afterwards by Punz or Karl.</p><p>The fight ended not with a bang, but with a whimper as Quackity splashed Velvet with a potion. Velvet fell to the ground, and Punz ran to tie it up.</p><p>The fiances instead ran to each other and embraced tightly, their tears and sweat mixing together. Strained laughter and meaningful “i love you”s echoed at each other. Who knows how long they stayed there, but soon enough they separated and got to work.</p><p>Sapnap, having been used to caring for George and Dream’s wound’s, tended to all of the creatures involved in the fight. He barely bandaged Bad and Velvet, as they had gotten mostly unharmed, but used a lot of gauze on a cut running from Antfrost’s ribcage to center back. </p><p>Now, he kneeled in front of Karl, gently dressing the skin at his knees.</p><p>Karl stared down at his fiance with a stupid smile, taking in the way his hair almost completely covered his concentrated face.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“You need to stop doing this,” Sapnap scolded softly. He was currently cleaning rocks out of Karl’s knees. “Just because they said something stupid, doesn’t mean you need to fight them.”</p><p>“But it was about you!” Karl pouted. “I can’t let them say that bullshit about you!”</p><p>Sapnap sighed softly, muttering to himself as he wiped down Karl’s knees. Karl grimaced at the sting, and watched the way his fiance pulled his lip into his mouth in frustration.</p><p>“I don’t care if they call me a faggot,” Karl mumbled. “But the second they go after my fiances, I’m fucking killing them.”</p><p>“We oughta get you a therapist,” Sapnap looked up at Karl, a smile biting at his lips. “You’ve got some anger issues.”</p><p>“I just don’t like it when assholes denounce people I care about,” Karl muttered, crossing his arms angrily.</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“You’re all done,” Sapnap stated. Karl zoned in to realize that his knees were completely bandaged. </p><p>“Thank you, Sap,” Karl smiled, standing up to survey the room. </p><p>“It’s no problem- Is that..?”</p><p>Technoblade, Philza, and a tall enderman hybrid were walking towards them. Techno and Philza looked stern, and determined, while the hybrid looked anxious and worried. </p><p>“Hello, Karl,” Philza smiled. </p><p>“Hi. What are you doing here?”</p><p>“We came to help clean up the vines,” Techno stated. “Word travels fast, and we figured you didn’t need any more reminders of this that there already are.”</p><p>Karl smiled at them, watching as Techno shifted uncomfortably. “Thank you, genuinely.Technoblade, Philza… stranger-”</p><p>“Ranboo,” The enderman hybrid spoke up. </p><p>“Technoblade, Philza, Ranboo, We really appreciate it,” Karl thanked them.</p><p>“Please, call me Phil,” Philza- Phil smiled. “You might as well use my actual name.”</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“You won’t tell anyone?” Watson whispered.</p><p>Karl and Watson sat beneath the stadium seats, in the hollow area caved out. They were just kids- kids that had lived longer than the people that had adopted them. </p><p>“Pinky promise,” Karl held his pinky out.</p><p>“Pinky promises are for babies,” Watson scoffed, but linked their fingers regardless. “But… My name is actually Phil.”</p><p>“Oh,” Karl said, slight surprise coloring his tone. “My name is just Karl.”</p><p>Watson- Phil laughed loudly as he unhooked their fingers. “Okay, just Karl.”</p><p>+ + +</p><p>“You- You lied to me,” Karl breathed, his eyes focusing back on Phil.</p><p>Phil’s face dropped, and he stared back at the younger immortal. “About?”</p><p>“We’ve met before. We were <i>friends</i>. “</p><p>“What the fuck?” Sapnap mumbled, reaching to link his hand with Karl’s.</p><p>“Yeah, mate,” Phil sighed. “I was trying to protect you. From remembering back then. It wasn’t a good time in either of our lives.”</p><p>Karl stared back at the blonde man, who was technically several years older than him. “You- Okay. I- I don’t have the energy to deal with this today.” He rubbed at his temples with his free hand, already feeling the oncoming headache.</p><p>“We can talk later,” Phil reassured, resting a hand on Karl’s shoulder before leaving to start cleaning up the vines. Ranboo followed him quietly, waving as he left.</p><p>“Don’t forget about that favor,” Techno grumbled. He waited for Karl’s affirmation, before following the other two.</p><p>“Can we just… go home?” Karl sighed, slumping into Sapnap as all the energy he had left seemingly drained out of him.</p><p>“Yeah,” Sapnap mumbled, wrapping his arm around Karl’s waist. The two moved to grab Quackity, and the fiances were soon at home in bed, curled around each other.</p><p>As Karl stared up at the ceiling, he thought to himself. </p><p>
  <i>Maybe I don’t remember all of it now, but I will eventually. For now, I’ll build memories with the people I love, and that love me.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for making it this far!! i really appreciate your reads!!!</p><p>this is the first full length fic i've ever finished, and i'll be honest, i hate half of it. i might rewrite a few chapters eventually, but i doubt it. </p><p>as always, kudos/bookmarks/comments are appreciated but never necessary &lt;3</p><p>don't forget to drink water and take your meds!!</p><p>until next time folx, </p><p>xoxo acidicvolt</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank u for reading</p><p>drink some water, eat smth </p><p>&lt;3 venom</p><p>(p.s. this will not be a full length fic- i do not have the mental stability for that. it will however, have a few chapters. no idea when they'll be out. thanks for reading!!) </p><p>edit: ^ lol</p></blockquote></div></div>
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